Trauma and PTSD Therapists in Santa Cruz, CA

Hello, I'm Rory. I am nonjudgemental, down to Earth, kind-hearted, and supportive. Have you survived something awful and need help healing and moving on? Does the past haunt you and block you from success and healthy relationships? Do you feel frustrated with yourself and want to change your patterns? Are you going through back to back crises and just need help navigating through the stress and uncertainty?

I believe we have the innate power to resolve & heal anything and that to do so we must consider going inward first. I believe the body is extremely intelligent & if we develop a loving connection with our body, we will connect with our internal wisdom that will act as our compass alongside our journey. I believe that our natural state of being is blissful & free of suffering & I am here to support you in remembering that state. I work well with those looking to expand their consciousness & awareness through self inquiry & exploration with the ultimate goal of living their most authentic & empowered life.

Invest in yourself and your loved ones; therapy is not just a mental health treatment sought when we are suffering from mental distress, or unable to conduct life as wanted. Therapy is also a self discovery process to get a greater and deeper knowledge about ourselves, which will allow to make better choices and become the person that we have wished. Having someone to accompany you in this path, with a professional perspective, non-judgmental listening and accurate interventions, will allow you to cope with painful circumstances, significant life changes / transitions, as well with symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD and others.

I trust your capacity for moving toward healing, change and growth. My holistic training in applying mindfulness to trauma and anxiety can allow you to experience a new relationship with all the parts of yourself and with others, which helps you feel more at ease. As a somatic psychotherapist, I use a mind-body approach to help you compassionately discover unconscious patterns in your nervous system, body, and mind that keep you from living your life as you wish. Somatic-based therapy has you deeply listen to all parts of yourself, which allows access and support to places in you that talk therapy does not reach.

Entering into therapy can be a big decision and confusing process. I offer direction that can help you determine your best course for meaningful and effective change. Through attentiveness, compassion, and collaboration, I focus on helping individuals, couples, & children gain awareness of themselves, and provide an avenue that leads toward personal exploration and healing. In my class "Creating Healthy Relationships with Kids", parents and caregivers learn additional ways to communicate with their child, appropriate limit setting, and effective problem solving rather than punishment.

You are uncomfortable - Something is bothering you. You need resolution about an issue, event, experience or relationship. I work in a collaborative/relational model with people who have had experiences that they have not fully integrated yet. I use talk therapy, imagery, metaphor, hypnosis, EMDR, Positive Psychology, and Sensorimotor. Often clients report being disinterested in a formerly distressing topic after treatment. I'm comfortable working many types of issues including trauma , PTSD , ACA, sexual abuse, panic attacks or phobias, anxiety or depression, losses or relationship breakups, people with mysterious physical ailments.

Feeling overwhelmed, scared, alone, isolated? Unable to express or tolerate your emotions? Therapy can help you take back control of your life, improve your relationships, and manage your moods. It doesn't matter if you're dealing with a new life challenge or a recurrent issue, I believe that therapy can help relieve your symptoms and live a stable and balanced life. I work with adults and adolescents struggling w/ a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, trauma , and substance use disorders. I offer a supportive, safe and non-judgmental place to explore, understand and resolve issues.

Congratulations for taking a step towards creating change. Finding a therapist can be challenging and it is important to find one who is right for you. I offer a free introductory session which we use to get to know each other. Clients often come into my office feeling hopeless or nervous, but usually leave feeling more hopeful and relaxed. I love to see people grow and thrive with the support of therapy. My style is warm, empathic, and collaborative. In our work together we draw on your strengths and wisdom and my goal is to empower you to create a more joyful and fulfilling life.

Sheena takes an exploratory approach with her clients, helping them identify the root of core issues so they can heal from the bottom-up. She leans heavily on the most cutting edge trauma work, including EMDR to heal both the mind and body. Working together, you’ll learn how our personalities develop and why we become trapped into feeling, believing and acting in ways that don’t serve us. You’ll learn tools to improve relationships, break through emotional barriers and overcome perceived limitations.

My approach to working with clients: Holistic Psychotherapy , Somatic Psychotherapy, Mindfulnes, specializing in Sexual Abuse, Trauma , Anxiety, Stress. Each client I see has their own story - the beliefs they hold about themselves, and the patterns (automatic ways of acting and thinking) that support those beliefs. Perhaps one was neglected as a child, and believes they need to do everything for themselves. Perhaps there was childhood abuse, and it's difficult to trust people, or to feel safe with intimacy. Perhaps one is stuck in their family role (for example: hero, lost child, mascot, scapegoat).

I partner with teens, adolescents, and young adults on their mental wellness journey. I will create a safe space for my clients and I to walk through the challenges they identify. Above all, I will honor my clients' privacy, authenticity, and willingness to share their stories with me. Trust, safety, and security are my core values.

Dr. Black specializes in trauma , TBI/concussion, insomnia/sleep issues, anxiety, depression, and coping with chronic illness. The therapies Dr. Black specializes in are biofeedback, ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), existential therapy, motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

Embarking on the journey of psychotherapy is a courageous and empowering act. My intention is to assist you in recognizing, respecting, and building on your strengths, and improving your capacity for self regulation. Through this partnership, I will assist you in bringing unconscious faulty core beliefs to the light of mindful awareness, engaging your wisdom and compassion. I will work with you collaboratively to address and navigate through your pain, your perceived limitations and stuck places, which are your growing edges. This demanding and enlivening work can improve your quality of life, and expand your capacity for joy and happiness.

You are already whole, and I believe the process of psychotherapy is to shed the self limiting beliefs we hold of ourselves that keep us fractured and compartmentalized. The process of integrating our disavowed parts creates the space for our wholeness to emerge. We make meaning through our experiences, but shame and trauma can distort our way of relating to ourselves and the world. Through the therapeutic container of safety one can begin to deconstruct the strategies adopted along the way to keep one feeling “safe” and “in control”, while also in many ways, keeping one from meeting the world with an open and curious heart.

Since 1992, I have counseled families, adults and children. I am an EMDR Institute consultant and facilitator, and use EMDR therapy's adaptive information processing to help clients master the challenges encountered in their lives. I received my PhD in international psychology with trauma focus. My specialties include Trauma , Acculturation and Attachment Disorders in clients of all ages. My immigration experience from Germany has prompted the exploration of the crucial part played by our cultural roots in our decision making process and in our lifestyle choices. I speak English, Spanish and German.

There are many reasons why a person, a couple, or a family might find themselves feeling stuck, down, disconnected, overwhelmed, or anxious. A significant portion of my education and training is based around helping clients reduce or resolve symptoms associated with their challenges. However, I find that helping clients identify the root of their obstacles—in addition to cultivating skills and strategies to work towards a strong mental and emotional sense of well-being and developing strong connected relationships—is as important as attending to mental, emotional, and relational symptoms.

I offer a safe space for people of all ages (3-103!) to be understood and held as we learn together what helps increase calm and elevates their life. Have you ever wondered, "why did I just do that?" or felt a great conflict between different sides of yourself? My clients leave therapy with a better understanding of the parts of themselves at play, and feel relaxed and affirmed.